Play a Part in History, Sponsor a Valve

December 10, 2013 | 14:37

Play a Part in History, Sponsor a Valve

Remember Colossus, the world's first electronic, programmable computer? First operational at Bletchley Park in 1944, it was used to help decipher encrypted messages between Hitler and his generals during World War II. The intelligence gained from these communications is generally acknowledged as...

Remember Colossus, the world's first electronic, programmable computer? First operational at Bletchley Park in 1944, it was used to help decipher encrypted messages between Hitler and his generals during World War II. The intelligence gained from these communications is generally acknowledged as having shortened the war by two years and to have saved countless thousands of lives.

For decades information about Colossus was kept a closely guarded secret, and it was only in 1975 that its first technical details became public. A working replica of Colossus has since been built and is on display in The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) in Block H on the exact same spot as where Colossus No 9 stood during the war. Now TNMOC wants to create a new gallery for the rebuilt Colossus so that generations to come will be able to understand its significance.

TNMOC, that also houses the Tunny machine and the BBC Domesday Touchtable, is looking for funds to build the new gallery and this is where you come in. Individuals and small companies are encouraged to make modest and publicly acknowledged donations by sponsoring virtual Colossus valves. Larger donations will be acknowledged within the gallery. £150,000 are needed to create the complete new gallery.